Mobile App Europe 2014 Notes

10 Ingredients to Rock the App Store with Your App

Notes on a keynote by Christian Kaar (Runtastic) at the Mobile App Europe 2014.

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(Started with 10 Squats with the audience)

Runtastic currently has 18 Apps in the stores (Outdoor Sports, Indoor Sports, Heart rate - even without belt, just the camera of the smart phone, weight management, nutrition, daily movement)

• 90 million downloads
• 40+ million registered users

• 100 employees, 4 founders

• 1.3(iOS)/1.4(Android) mio apps
• ~.5 mio apps downloaded once

• ~50% used five times or more

• 10bill purchases in AppStore
• 13bill purchases in Play Store

##1. Create a Great Product

• Solve a problem
  • e.g. Telegram or Threema improved over security problems with WhatsApp after it had been purchased by Facebook)
• Entertain
• Improve another app (e.g. WhatsApp over Text messaging)
• Functional
• User Experience

##2. Easy to Use

• Simplicity - no one has time to figure out how to operate it
• Don’t overload (20/80 rule)
• Use common patterns
• Intuitive
  • Make the parents test - give it to your mom
  • Example Shazam - a single button
  • Example Google search - one input box, one button
  • Example Tinder dating app - like/don’t like
• No user manual

##3. Fast Iterations

• Agile
• Fail fast
• Feedback
• Alpha/Beta channels on Android
• Testflight on iOS
• Build Automation
• Continous Integration (Google Developer API - automatically deploy your apk to Alpha/Beta-channels)

##4. Optimize For Platforms

• Live a platform - in private life!
• User interface
• Platform guidelines
• User experience

##5. Build the Picture, Optimize the Details

• Think Big (4.99€, 500Yen, 8 is lucky number in HongKong - good to have an 8 in your price)
• Localize contents (screenshots! Route in San Francisco: rectangular, Austria: outdoor route)
• Pricing
• Animations
• ASO AppStore Search Optimization

##6. (Give) Right Trigger Messages

• Messages in a positive moment (e.g. Runtastic feedback: after a successful activity)
• Content
• Notifications - Engage the user to open the app
• User Journey (1st step: sign up! 2nd step: make 5 activities, 3rd step: pay for extended features

##7. Application Performance Management

• Realtime user monitoring
• Backend performance
• End-to-end monitoring
• App instrumentation
• App crashes

##8. App Reviews

• Average rating
  • AppStore: new rating with each new version
  • Play Store: overall rating for all versions
• User feedback
• Relevant for buy/download decision

##9. Measure

• Focus on relevant KPIs
• Know your customers
• Demographics
• Drive your decisions on data

##10. Team

• Together Everyone Achieves more
• Responsibility
• Passion
• Talents
• It’s all about people
• Space for creativity
• Motivation

Runtastic: DONI - Day of new ideas (once a month)

Conclusion

• Strive for excellence
• Test and fail fast
• Application performance
• Together everyone achieves more

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